Garces Family,
Let me start by saying, at Garces Memorial High School, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students. We continue to monitor updates regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on a local, national and international level. We are following the directives put out by the Diocese of Fresno and stay in constant communication with Superintendent Mona Faulkner. We are also following all guidelines put out by both local and state public health departments.
We understand there are a lot of questions and many of you are wondering if the school will close at any point. The answer is, we don’t know. However, while there are still no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Kern County, if a closure is to take place, we have an extensive plan to continue our high-quality education through online class instruction, thanks, in part, to our 1:1 iPad technology.
If a closure occurs, our teachers will use the ZOOM app to teach lessons virtually and all class materials will be uploaded on iTunes U. Each student’s iPad will become their virtual classroom and we will continue to follow the regular block schedule. To make the transition to online learning as smooth as possible, students spent time in each of their classes logging onto the app and signing into a class meeting with each of their teachers. For student instructions on how to use the ZOOM App, click
here
.
Regarding athletic events, as of today, all games are suspended. Teams may continue to practice until further notice.
Over the coming weekend, our cleaning crew will be on campus to disinfect the entire campus to ensure a safe learning environment for our students.
Throughout the coming days, we will continue to provide updates and additional information as it becomes available. All updates will be emailed out through Constant Contact, posted on our website and posted on our social media pages.
Lastly, if you feel the need to keep your student home prior to any announcement of a school closure, we encourage you to make the choice you feel best for your child and family. If you keep your child home before a school closure is announced, please call the attendance office to report his or her absence.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to do what is best for our students, faculty and staff during this evolving health crisis. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me. My email is
mpeck@garces.org
.
In Christ,
Principal Myka Peck
